This application relates generally to systems and methods for electronic tracking and control of documents, and more particularly to electronic tracking and control of standardized tests within a standardized test management system.
One method for evaluating the knowledge or skill of a person includes the use of standardized tests. For example, standardized tests are used to monitor the academic progress of students. Some standardized tests incorporate objective test questions that are answered by filling in an appropriate oval in an associated bubble-type answer sheet using a pencil. Some standardized tests include open-ended questions. Examples of open-ended questions in these tests include essay questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, fill-in-the-map questions, math questions, and motor skill questions in which a test taker draws geometric shapes. Open-ended questions, also referred to herein as scoring tasks or test items, are evaluated and scored by a human reviewer, also referred to herein as a reader.
A large number of completed standardized tests are received at a test-processing center from a number of test-taking centers. Many testing projects have various time constraints. These time constraints provide a complicating factor in processing the large number of tests.
There is a need in the art to provide improved systems and methods for processing completed standardized tests.
The above mentioned problems are addressed by the present subject matter and will be understood by reading and studying the following specification. The present subject matter relates to systems and methods for prioritizing the processing of standardized tests. The present subject matter allows a test process to follow external time constraints, such as those time constraints provided by the customer. The present subject matter also allows a test process to follow internal time constraints, such as those time constraints designed for implementing efficient processing of the standardized tests. In one embodiment, external and internal refer to those time constraints provided outside of or within, respectively, a test-processing center.
One aspect of the present subject matter relates to a method for processing completed standardized tests. In one embodiment, test-processing priority information is received, and is associated with machine-readable identifiers for standardized tests. Completed standardized tests are received, and are identified by reading the machine-readable identifiers on the tests. The identified standardized tests are processed according to the associated test-processing priority information, such that higher priority tests are automatically processed before lower priority tests.
In one embodiment, boxes of test booklets are received from a plurality of test-taking centers, and criteria are received to prioritize the processing of the test booklets. Bar codes for the received boxes are read to prioritize the processing of the received boxes according to the received criteria. Bar codes for the test booklets contained within the processed boxes are read to prioritize processing of the test booklets according to the received criteria. The test booklets are processed in preparation for scoring test items in the test booklets according to the received criteria, such that higher priority test booklets are processed before lower priority test booklets. The test items are scored according to the received criteria.
According to one embodiment, completed test items are electronically received from test-taking centers, and criteria are received to prioritize the processing of the test items. The test items are processed in preparation for scoring, and the test items are scored according to the criteria.
One aspect of the present subject matter relates to a system for processing completed standardized tests. According to one embodiment, the system includes reading device(s) and a server connected to the reading device(s). The reading device(s) machine-read test identifiers for tests. The server includes a database module and at least one applications module. The database module associates test identifiers with test-processing priority information. The applications module(s) processes standardized tests according to the test-processing priority information, such that higher priority tests are processed before lower priority tests.
These and other aspects, embodiments, advantages, and features will become apparent from the following description of the present subject matter and the referenced drawings.